Archive for July, 2010

Searching for a Houston Moving Company

Are you in search of a Houston moving company? Here are a few pointers that may help your cause.

First of all, allow yourself enough time. The expense and anxiety of contracting with a Houston moving company is enough to upset the heartiest of folk. Allow two months prior to the move to begin preparation.

Make a list of items to be offered up to the Houston moving company and a pile of “leave behind” belongings. Throwing them out, selling or giving them to charity is the recommendation for the property staying behind. Discarding unwanted items will ensure a more precise quote from a Houston moving company.

Determine the type of move from the three basic choices: do-it-yourself, the portable on demand storage method or hiring a Houston moving company. The last two will require a Houston moving company, which can be responsible for the entire move, including packing and unpacking.

To find the best Houston moving company, visit the US Department of Transportation’s website. Houston moving companies, as well as all moving companies must be registered with the DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (www.fmcsa.dot.gov/). Research your Houston moving company at this site, as well as through the Better Business Bureau to determine the organization’s consumer practices and federal compliance.

Begin a list of potential Houston moving companies and ask those select few carriers for references and insurance coverage. Discuss with them such topics as their procedures, safeguards and age of trucks. Ask for a quote and do not be afraid to negotiate!

Supplies … namely boxes … are the next step, provided you choose to pack everything yourself. Order them as you go. Check the moving company’s procedure in returning unused boxes and packing material.

Before packing, take an inventory of all the belongings that you entrust with the Houston moving company. Using a camcorder or other video device will allow you to clearly identify the shape and age of each item. Also, camcorders have date stamps, which will support any insurance claims.
Keep important papers, medicines and other essentials in a box that is easily reachable and will be unpacked first.

Doing your homework may be the key in making your experience with a Houston moving company as smooth as possible.

Where to Look for Houston Movers

When you are looking for Houston movers you want to look for the best services that you can get an most of the time you also want to look for the best price that you can get from the Houston movers that you decide to employ. I have found that when you are looking for the best prices on movers it is a great idea to start looking at the movers that are by universities. So if you want to find inexpensive Houston movers you want to look at the different Houston movers that are nearby universities. Most of these movers will have great prices because there are a lot of college students that mover every year but cannot afford the more expensive movers. The Houston movers that are by the universities end up having a lot of customers anyway if they have cheaper prices since they are always guaranteed to have customers if they are nearby all of the college students that need to move every year. However some of these movers might have different terms if you are trying to move your things for a long distance or if you happen to have very heavy things in your house. If you have things like pianos and other heavy furniture you want to make sure that the places by the universities will be able to move these things for you as well. Some of the Houston movers that are by the universities often do not have to worry about moving such heavy things since a lot of the students will be living in the dorms with little space so you will have to specify to them that you have heavy objects that you want to move if you are considering a moving company. It is not very hard to find a good deal in this way you just want to make sure that on top of the good deal you also get all of the services that you are in need of to move all of your items efficiently.

How to Locate Houston Moving Companies

There is a lot of coming and going in Houston. As the nation’s fourth largest city in population, Houston moving companies stay very busy. If you choose to leave town, follow some of lessons that I have learned in relocation. I have never resided in Texas, but the successful business relationship I fostered with other moving companies should bode well for your search for a Houston moving outfit.

The thought of finding a Houston moving group may seem enormous, but do not become overwhelmed. After all, there are many movers offering countless services and rates. Begin online. I prefer to search using Google, but to each his or her own. Enter a sizeable phrase, such as, antique Houston moving companies; long distance Houston moving companies, etc. The larger the keyword phrase, which is also referred to as a long tail keyword, the more specific the results. There is nothing wrong with entering, Houston movers as your phrase, but results may be endless. Specify your needs.

The online Yellow Pages website (www.yellowpages.com) is also a good source of information. In addition to contact information for Houston moving companies, you will have access to comments, complaints and other consumer experiences. In fact, you can add your own words following your move.

Visit the websites of the movers that most appeal to your circumstances. Call them. Compare the various services, costs, insurance coverage and availability. From there, narrow your search to a few, and then contact the Houston area Better Business Bureau.

The BBB monitors businesses’ relations with its customers. A Houston moving company with a spotless record is a good choice, but many organizations may have issues in not fully satisfying its clientele. It is difficult … if not impossible … to please everyone.

There are many other methods to find the Houston moving company that best works for you, but these few simple pointers should work.

Managing Houston Moving Expenses

One of the most difficult tasks in the world of today is the management of financial expenses. Managing finances for things we are familiar with is easy, but when it comes to things which we are unfamiliar with or have little experience dealing with, managing finances can be a very hectic job. Moving from one place to another is one such task as most people are unaware of the expenses as it’s not like they move from one place to another on regular basis.

Therefore, not many people have adequate knowledge regarding moving expenses, especially the first time movers. In the Houston area, there are number of companies which provide facility to move your things from one location to another. There are a few things you should be aware of when hiring a Houston moving company as if you are not careful, these companies would drive you to bankruptcy. The first and foremost thing you need to consider when hiring a Houston moving company is an estimate of total expenses that you might incur.

After that, you should search for the best Houston moving company as hiring the best would mean better quality of service and thus satisfaction for money spent is guaranteed. You should shortlist all the potential Houston moving companies and then compare them to choose the Houston moving company that provides the most attractive facilities at the lowest cost and has good reputation.

Some Houston moving companies provide special attractive facilities which show a lot of promises. You should avoid falling prey to such facilities as much as you can as they promise a lot of things but the end result is far from satisfactory. Other expenses, besides Houston moving company contract deal, might include toll tax, heavy items transit tax and insurance premiums.

Although, most of these expenses seem a bit too much and unnecessary, they must be dealt with. Houston moving companies often provide all in one package deals which include each and every expense. Such deals from Houston moving companies should be preferred as they provide complete and comprehensive information about the total expenses involved and thus you would be able to manage them in a better way.

Moving from Houston can be a bit expensive as many companies which provide high quality services often charge a lot from their customers. However, the quality of service is surely what they promise which makes them worthwhile.